1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to security devices for securing spare tires. In particular, the invention relates to security devices for securing a spare tire mounted on a hoist having a hoist shaft accessible through an opening in the rear channel of the pickup box.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,287, issued Apr. 6, 1993, to McClary, shows a device for securing a spare tire mounted on a hoist having a hoist shaft accessible through an opening in the bumper. The device includes a locking shaft extending from the end of the hoist shaft to the opening in the bumper. The device also has a padlock inserted through a hole in the locking shaft for preventing the removal of the locking shaft from the hoist shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,995, issued Jan. 7, 1992, to Appelbaum, discloses another device for securing a spare tire. The device includes a locking shaft extending from the hoist shaft to near an opening in the bumper. A lock attached to the end of the locking shaft extends through the opening in the bumper to prevent removal of the locking shaft. The other end of the locking shaft inserts into the end of the hoist shaft.
Recently designed trucks, such as the Dodge Ram T-300, have hoist shafts that extend into an opening in the rear channel of the pickup box. The security devices known in the prior art will not work with this design, because the end of the hoist shaft is not spaced apart from the rear channel. A new security device was needed for preventing access to the end of this new type of hoist shaft.